1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to housings and passageways for animals and more particularly, to housings and passageways for animals to be used in connection with vehicles.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the past, a wide variety of trucks and trailers have been used for carrying animals. Perhaps most commonly used is the livestock trailer which is attached to a towing vehicle. These livestock trailers have one or more beds for supporting the animals inside the trailer and a housing which surrounds the bed to contain the animals. A rear opening in the trailer allows the animals to be transferred to and from the trailer housing. Usually a ramp adapted for extension from the rear opening at the level of the bed to ground level is used when loading the animals.
A wide variety of towing vehicles are used for towing the animal or livestock trailers described. These towing vehicles range from semitrailer trucks to pickup trucks and even smaller vehicles. When smaller trailers and towing vehicles are used, a hitch is usually provided between the towing vehicle and the trailer to allow a flexible and detachable connection therebetween.
In addition to the trailer type of animal housing, animal housings have also been joined as integral parts of vehicles. U.S. Pat. No. 3,600,032 to Gross shows an animal housing attached as part of a pickup truck. The truck of Gross has an enclosure formed by walls attached to the upper part of the walls around the bed of the pickup and a pair of hinged rear doors inside the rear gate of the pickup. The doors allow animals to be loaded into the housing. U.S. Pat. No. 2,808,291 to van Meter shows a similar animal housing which detachably fits in the bed of a pickup truck and has a ramp pivotally attached to the rear of the housing for loading animals to and from the housing.
While the animal carrying vehicles and trailers as described above have been useful, they have not been entirely satisfactory.